Good morning and yes I slept til noon today. I'm a teenager again! But at least I'm not hungover.

SubC I loved your newsy letter and hearing about the roosters and that poor chicken little. I don't know why people can't be careful. I don't get it. I think I told you I tested negative for antibodies. I know the accuracy of the tests are questionable but I work so hard to keep myself safe. I don't slip up. I wear my mask and keep my distance and I wash constantly and I look out for myself. I don't get it why people think they are invincible.

My state rep is a man named Jon Santiago and he is amazing, he is an emergency room physician at Boston Medical Center (formerly Boston City Hospital and the basis for St Elsewhere). He has worked nearly every weekend in the emergency room up until he had to have his appendix out. And guess what? He tested negative. With all of his work he was able to stay safe. So he's my hero and my role model. BF and I frequently remind ourselves not to get lazy at this point.

Tillie our main post office at south station is open 24 hours a day if you can believe it. It is across the street from my office. I have more dollar coins. I'm pretty good at not keeping my coins too long, I have a tin for every day coins and once that gets filled I take it in to the bank. The dollar coins are a different animal entirely, Those are from the subway. All change given in dollar coins. Then I don't use them and they just start being a pain, they are embarrassing to use at corner stores and other neighborhood places. I will use at CVS or grocery store but they are such a pain. I'm taking the rest in so that my stock purchase will be from found money rather than my savings.

I have to start saving for my car insurance and homeowners and umbrella policies. They are all due in December and now that's I have a handle on my finances, I just want to have the $ in my regular savings account and not dip into my emergency fund.

Okay I need to do something today. Anything, really.

You still have more coin???
Good luck toting it to the bank.

I try to not let my coins pile up too much because they are heavy.
I can use all but pennies at the water depot to buy the water.
Steven has a 5 gallon water bottle almost full of coins.
It is insanely heavy.

Will the post offices be open tomorrow?
Isn't it a holiday where places like that are closed?

((((HUGS)))) Miss Kitty 🐈

Scooter is sleeping at the foot of my bed.
Twinkles is on the window ledge.

The low laying smoke has cleared so the window is open. 😀

The grass is watered and I have the hose on slow drip on a tree now for over night.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I'm glad you are feeling balanced in your relationship with your mom.

I hope you have a sense of peace and closure when the furnIture is mailed off.

Tillie, I'm glad you and your animal friends made it through the worst of the smoke. I was listening to a radio interview about the fires the other day and it was very discouraging. The authority basically believed that the fires will keep getting worse for some time no matter what we do, because we have let combustible materials build up and built too close to areas that burn using stupid materials and landscaping. Even if we start reversing that, it will take A long time to have any impact.

Yesterday I had a long email exchange with my cousin that helped a lot with my school attitude. Later in the day I even called her and she helped me with some ideas.

I tried to set a time to do two hours of school planning. I got the first hour done, had lunch, and started the second hour, but Dh made my lunch run long, and then he interrupted me for help with a project, and then I ran into the time when I told my cousin I would call, so the second "hour" was only 45 minutes.

But I made good progress, and I did not dream about school last night. I am going to try again today. My reward for getting two hours done is that I get to choose a rose bush and order it to plant in the corner by the house where Dh can't mow. It is between the hose where I get water and a window of our dining nook, so I want to pick one that is pretty and smells nice.

Dd saw her mil on Saturday and let her hold Bean with a cloth mask on, and then she heard about all the things her mil has been doing (no precautions or changes except to comply with store rules) and got nervous and said I can't come until Wednesday and only after she makes sure her mil does not have symptoms.

Other progress yesterday - ice cream ready to go in the machine today and picked beans and tomatoes. The beans went in the dehydrator and are almost ready to take out. I also made a big batch of rice pudding for breakfasts this week (rice, milk, raisins, cardamom) and realized that a spoonful of my homemade chocolate syrup makes a nice glass of chocolate milk, so I won't be buying any more powdered "chocolate milk mix" with chemicals on the ingredients list. I will never get my grocery list down to "flour, sugar, butter, salt...." but I want to get closer.

The little roosters are crowing. I need to sort them out and count. I have one chick I think is a hen who has dwarfism. She is very cute. I don't know what her life expectancy will be though, and she can't perch because of her short, thick toes.

Wow what a mixed blessing, Tillie!

I went to BFs and stayed with him the last 2 hours at work.

I am trying to decide if I'll go down to main post office tomorrow to mail the dollhouse furniture and to mail in my shredding to the office, Our humidity is returning on Tuesday so I might want to do that tomorrow. And then sometime durung the week, before Friday, I need to cash in more coins. I don't want to miss the deadline to buy the stock.

Okay goodnight dear friends. My kitty is sound asleep on the couch and honestly I couldn't love her any more.

Hi 🙂

Hello Tatoulia
Happy you are taking the day off and feel good about it too. 🙂
We all need the down time.

WTG! dropping off groceries and doing the nighties!

Enjoy the rain if you get it.

Wonderful thing...
the smoke is so thick the sun can't penetrate it and make it hot today.
YEA!?

4pm and the high is only 90F
The cooler is making me cold at 73F inside.

Watching old black & white episodes of Alfred Hitchcock.

Will still need to go outside to place the sprinkler on the grass, turn on the water, wait inside then go out and move the sprinkler every now & then.
Won't have to stand outside for very long.

The smoke just keeps getting thicker.
It's very dark and brown outside now.
The satellite picture shows all the smoke from the fire blowing East right over to me. 🔥

Have no ambition or energy to do much so I'm watching videos. Cats are all fed & watered. 🐈🐈🐈🐈

I do worry about you, Tillie! You are so thoughtful with your animal friends!

I went up to mom's and dropped off her groceries and picked up her laundry. Her nighties are washing on the delicate cycle now and I'll be able to hang to dry soon.

It's definitely darker here now. Not sure if it's going to rain. Have nothing to show for myself and I'm good with it.

Good Morning Everybody
Just after 10am here.

Hi Tatoulia
I guess BF has to go by getting word of mouth out that he's looking to hire someone.

Very glad you slept so soundly.
Have a great afternoon! 😀

Don't want to look at the news to see what is burning and causing the air here to be so thick with smoke.
The fire news is just too depressing.

In Summertime I keep a bowl of fresh water on the back porch at all times and I keep the two bird baths in the garden full of fresh water too.
I try to do the same in Winter but the water just freezes.

Good afternoon. I woke up at 12:37 when my mother called me. I didn't wake up when BF called me half an hour earlier. I slept with the windows open, the city is quiet and I had a productive day yesterday.

Just brewed and poured my first cup of coffee.

Tillie I am worried about the extreme heat and all of your animal friends.

I may work with BF at the end of the evening. He needs to hire someone but he's picky. He also can't put a sign out because he's not like a big chain. If he doesn't hire someone then it's personal.

Okay going to ease into my afternoon.

Hope you got you nap in, Tillie! The PO I went to is a very small branch. They told me they sold the last two sheets before I came in.

Bf and I ran a few errands tonight. My mother needed groceries. I'll take them to her tmr. . I realized earlier today that I'm finally putting in 50% of the effort in our relationship. It feels good.

I have the box of dollhouse stuff all ready. I took the box I packed last night and put it in a bigger box and I put some of the fragile things in smaller boxes before putting in the larger box.

I did three loads of laundry tonight.

Hi Tatoulia
Sounds like the dollhouse things are packed up very well.

WAY TO GO! for laundry and grocery shopping for Mom!

I like smaller post offices.
Less hustle and bustle going on in them.

A good relationship has those times when one gives more than the other.
But then it evens out again. 🙂

Got the garden all watered and took a shower and it was only 9pm when I finally sat down in my bed.
I dozed for only a few minutes off & on this afternoon.
Had some icecream before I watered.
Soon as it cools off a little bit more I will sleep.
I still have the cooler on in here.

Hello Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
Strange the post office would be out of postcard stamps.
Seems like a lesser bought size.

Nice BF will get a fresh paint job on his place.

YEA! for your beautiful day! 😀

106F and the latest weather report says tomorrow will be just as bad.
The wildfire smoke is back.
Been getting thicker all day long.🐼

Very sleepy. Tried to nap but Steven kept making too much noise.
Couldn't get very comfortable since Twinkles is hogging half the couch and I can't stretch out.

Will have to water the garden late tonight before I can go to bed and sleep.

Quick check in. Post office was out of postcard stamps today! I couldn't believe it! I got one package mailed and picked up regular stamps til I can get the postcard ones.

I did a shift at BF's business today so that he could get paint. His painter will paint his office (exterior of the building) this weekend.

Okay I need to go grab some milk and other things. Beautiful day here today. Worried about Tillie and that part of the country. Not sure why Colorado is expecting snow on Wednesday.

I like the idea of ice cream in my pajamas too.

Lately I've been watching some videos by "girl in calico" on YouTube. The are peaceful and help me take a moment to unwind and focus on how I want my home to be centered.

My house is not like that though, it is a blend of that, "summer beach cottage", "early American attic" "Daycare at the library" and "Danish modern" (Dh influence)

Rest and stay cool Tillie!

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi CriticalMass

Hi Tatoulia
Happy you have worked through the strong emotions.
You have beautiful memories to cherish. (((HUG)))

Hi Subclinical
Glad you have found some videos that you are enjoying. 😀
I love homes with an eclectic look.
Items carefully collected over the years, chosen because they spoke to the owner's heart.

I have a total mishmash here too and they all go wonderfully together.

I have the drapes closed & the cooler running.
Cool and very dark in here.
Woke up too early because of the shotgun blasts going off.
Just 12:30pm here now and I will follow the cat's advice and take a nap now.

I once had a dream where I had an infant to take care of.
It was not mine but I didn't know where it came from, it was just there.
Anyways I ended up misplacing it and was searching everywhere for it.
Never did find it before I woke up. ;P

Hello everyone. I'm great with my choices today. I was just thinking about my childhood and how wonderful my mother made it for us. My father too but the dollhouse was my mom. So I'm back to myself today.

Anxiety dreams, SubC. I still have dreams where it is finals time and I realize I never went to class or I can't remember where my exam room is. Just this past week I dreamt I had a final and I didn't know what time or where. Naturally this is a very scary time for you. I am worried about all of this.

Tillie ice cream in a nightgown is an ideal set up!

I am going to run to the post office before it closes. I'm not sending the dollhouse stuff because I need more boxes and I ran out of tape.

Will write more later. Beautiful dry and cool right now. Wish I could send you a jar of it, Tillie.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Yes, this pandemic really sucks for people who need people.
Heartbreaking that your Mom is so cut off from her loved ones.

We all can read the lists of people who have been sickened or have sick family or friends.
But there is no list listing all the emotional trauma caused by the isolation that's causing so many to be depressed.
Phone calls, facetime, emails are better than nothing but just not the same at all. (((HUG)))

I like the yurt.
That would be a great classroom. 😀

Good luck with the laundry.
I still have to have liquid laundry detergent.
The detergent sheets are for laundry but I use a little dab of the liquid in a bucket of hot water for cleaning around the house.
And of course for doing a little hand washed laundry.
But using the sheets has greatly reduced having to buy more liquid in a plastic jug.

How you doing today Tatoulia?
You seem to want to gift the miniatures but are just emotional about it.
That's OK.
Having emotions is not always a bad thing.
We need to experience them and accept them as part of being human.
((((HUG))))

Today is supposed to be the extremely hot day.
Yesterday I waited until well after sundown to go out and water.
It was warm but not too badly.
By the time I finished watering the grass and Lilacs it was after 11:00pm.
Came in and after I was all cleaned up & in my nightgown I had some icecream as a reward.

Tatoulia, I crossed and didn't see your list last night (I post slowly)

I hope that you find some clarity and peace on the dollhouse furniture.

All those dollar coins - wow! Not only were they heavy, they took up a lot of space!

Good luck with the painter!

The hardest thing (personally - I have been lucky) about the pandemic is that it is keeping my mom away from Bean. and from me. She would be so happy if she could come here and hold him. She is very lonely. She loves my dad, but she is all that he needs in the world, and she needs other people. I think Dad is actually very happy with quarantine and wouldn't mind if it went on forever. He misses a few things, but loves not having to share my mom.

Mom walks three miles every day, and she calls one of her kids or grandkids on the phone for the whole walk. She also FaceTimes my niece - who is an incredibly social and lonely in spite of two sisters 11 y.o. Every day.

My aunt is still cleaning out her house and took two broken German dolls that belonged to my grandmother to my mom. Mom says she fixed them, but not as well as I would have and she wishes I were there.

Last night I dreamed that I was back teaching at the same program but in a much bigger building and we also had yurts and circus tents. It was raining and there were puddles everywhere and my kids got soaked on the way to our yurt. Then we decided to stop wearing masks because it was the second day and nothing bad had happened the day before. And my class ran waaaaay over and my boss got mad because people were waiting for my students, and my next class was waiting for me, and she had to come out to the yurt in the rain.

Today I will bake bread and hopefully make school progress and do some laundry. I almost ran out of laundry strips (I have three left) and the new ones won't be here until Friday, so I am doing laundry on an emergency basis. I do have some liquid detergent that I use to hand wash delicate things that I can use in a pinch.

((((((HUG))))))

Very emotional and weepy over the dollhouse furniture. I'm not ready to post pictures yet. Very emotional. Bf agrees we picked the right person to give them too I just never found the right person. I sent her a few pictures.

I'm weepy. SubC I'm glad you can see the baby more. Tillie I had ice cream. I'm weepy but I'm doing the right thing at the right time for the right person.

Hi Subclinical 🐼

Well WTG! keeping Bunnies in the shade.
This Summer has been so disjointed we all would have done better under better circumstances.

YEA! for eating icecream!
I still haven't broken the seal on my carton but plan to soon.
Between store bought candy or icecream, I choose the icecream 😀

Everything you do now is genuine authentic Grammie now.

How WONDERFUL!
Bean video AND more planned Bean time in your future. (((((HUGS)))))

WAY TO GO! for all you did today!
And the kitchen being better than when you started too is a BIG plus.

We will forgive you for the butter, salt & pepper from far away sources. 😉

There are huge fields here in Nevada full of cows.
There are signs that state they belong to a company named "California Gold" dairies.
The sell butter & cheese under the pretense that the cows live happy content lives in California.
Lies, all lies 🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄

We grow a LOT of alfalfa hay here.
Rather than transport the hay to California Cows they just brought the cows here and then transport the milk to California.

Tillie, I am wishing you cooler weather. I think you should be a 🐼. I do not like 🦝🦝.

It is lovely here - 72, breezy, finally not humid. The bunnies were very pleased but my lawn looks a little patchy. I should have moved the bunny hopper more often as they grazed. I just moved it enough to keep it in the shade.

I would have eaten the chocolate. I did eat some ice cream today.

My bread dough is started. It has to sit overnight and then I add more ingredients and make the loaves in the morning. We call it "Grammie bread" because it is my mom's starter and recipe. But now, I am "Grammie" too. Wonder if it will make the grammie bread more authentic?

My Dd reminded me that we moved far away from our families and her grandmothers didn't get to see her for months at a time and there was no FaceTime.

She sent me a video of Bean getting excited about his hanging stars this morning. They are coming over Sunday, and she changed her mind and wants me M/W/F next week because she has some stuff she has to do.

Also today I ran the dishwasher, filled the dehydrator with tomatoes, picked the beans, gathered up some of the stuff I need for class prep and planning (I put it in piles by category on my work table), Took out the compost, and made dinner - the butter, Garlic, salt, and pepper did not come from my garden. The garlic came from my friend's garden.

I Recycled a few things and left the kitchen better than when I started.

CM, I hope you hear from your mechanic soon! I married mine, so he can't avoid me.

Good Evening Everybody
6pm and still too hot to water yet.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!!! A new scratch post!!!! 🐱‍👤

Boy you must really be strong and determined to carry all that coin around.
WTG! cashing it in and putting it somewhere better than laying around in the house.

With the casinos here there is a lot of silver dollars here too.

Ooooo Dollhouse furniture. 😀
Why are miniatures so fascinating?
We all just love them.

I believe the pressure behind my eyes in my sinuses is what has caused the Raccoon eyes.
I believe it was a combination of my allergies, the wildfire smoke and the terribly dry and dusty air that caused it. 🦝

Hope you are going to enjoy this end of Summer holiday.
You are allowed to have an icecream. (((HUG)))

Ps BF spoke to painter and he's coming down to give me his cost. He can come down this weekend.

Hello everyone!

Tillie do you know what about the sinus infection gives you raccoon eyes? You poor thing. I saw on the National news tonight about the terrible and dangerous heat out west.

Cm you are doing great. You aren't in a slump! You are taking a mental rest.

SubC I have no words for just how cruel this pandemic is. It is keeping people from important people (you and your little bean) and it's heart breaking. I am just so sorry.

We received an email today and our office closed at noon. I went up to see BF and to get some personal products for my mom. I bought a lot at start of pandemic for those times that her supplies didn't arrive. I took the second to last packet to mom's then I hopped the subway to go to the bank to cash in my coins. They were all dollar coins. And they were heavy. But I cashed in an unbelievably large and heavy number 676. I'm not making that up. $676. So I have most of my stock money. I'll take more down next week and then buy my stock. Insane to have that many dollar coins. I cashed in my quarters years ago and that too worked out nicely. The dollar coins are from riding the subway. You put in a twenty and buy a ticket and the change is in dollar coins.

I then did a bit of shopping downtown including getting mom's cat a new scratching post. And then I walked home. Felt terrific. I miss my office!

Well I'm going to go through my dollhouse furniture for a friend now. See what's nice and usable.

Good Morning Everybody

What frustrating and confusing dreams Subclinical.
But understandable knowing what your concerns are.

I had faith in that sourdough starter.
The older the starter is, the better tasting the bread it makes too.
In San Francisco, the oldest bread manufacturer uses starter that was started way back during the gold rush.
And it is the best sourdough bread I have ever eaten.

This is so not fair.
You finally get to be Granma and there is this darn pandemic. ((((HUGS))))

Hi CriticalMass
Good luck and the best of wishes that you can find someone to do the oil change for you.

Keep thinking and plotting your plans of attack when the weather cools down.
Do little "mini" decluttering/organizing tasks at home when you have the free time.
Get all your Ducks in a row. 🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆

I slept soundly last night, no headache.
Still no headache this morning.
Still look like a sad raccoon though. 🦝
Will keep on resting, drinking plenty of tea/water and using my neti-pot.

There is a high heat alert issued for the next several days.
Will wait until after dark to go out and water things.
Doing well with the healthier eating challenge.
When I crave to mindlessly snack/munch I just suffer through until the desire passes.
And it does pass.

105 F at 4:00pm

House is a pleasant 77F.

Please let Summer end. ☹

No sinus infection symptoms YEA!

He went to the grocery store and found a 4 piece box of Whitman's Sampler half price in the reduced bin.
He never can resist a "sale".
Gave it to me to help ruin my healthy eating plans.
I stuck it in the freezer way back under lots of other stuff. 😛

I got in a slump after that great day. But next week I will pull out of it because we are set to have cooler weather.

Yesterday was payday and I spent too much money but mostly on useful stuff.

Still have not heard from mechanic. I have gotten the motor oil and filter at Walmart though. So I saved him a step. We shall see.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
So happy Tigger was relaxed during his visit. 😽

Hope you can get time to yourself and refuel.
We all can only do just so much and can't keep up without down time too. (((HUG)))

So good we can get translations easily online.
Portuguese is one I know nothing about.
English, a little Spanish and just a schmear of Yiddish.

Great you have a hose out front and used it to clean the cat carrier.
I do that in Summer and in the shower in the tub in Winter.

WAY TO GO! throwing out that thing you were avoiding and getting all the trash out!

We love listening to all your ramblings. 🐁

Headache has not returned.
Still have dark circles around my eyes.
Feel better after laying on the couch all day.
Started to drift off asleep but was rudely subjected to a rant. 🤡
Got the garden plants watered after dark.
The predicted temps the next seven days are terrifying.
I will stay inside, won't even think of going anywhere.

Tillie, I am sorry about your headaches. I hope you keep feeling better. I hope it won't be too awful to stay in your house and Steven will stay away from you.

Tatoulia, I am glad you ar downshifting a little and taking care of yourself.

Please be kind to your body. Approach it like your house - look at it honestly but not judgementally, decide what it needs, and try to give it those things. Your body is a lot like your house, because you live in it.

Right now my body is telling me it needs more sleep. I had the strangest dreams last night - lines of giant skunks dancing on their front legs through the woods at my parents' house, my Entire school community watching on the lawn. Arranging a Covid bubble play date for my son - who was suddenly small again, with two first graders I teach. Government planes setting my barn on fire and then bombing it with rat poison. Desperately searching for a cracker recipe.

I am super slow this morning.

But, good news - my sourdough starter finally bubbled over! If I get the kitchen cleaned up, I can start the dough tonight and bake tomorrow. My inner squirrel just wants to nest.

Dd wants me to only come Mondays and Wednesdays this month. I said "and then only Mondays in October." And she said "I was thinking we might try not at all in October until we see how things are. You're going to be around a lot of kids."

So, now I am even more unmotivated to do class prep by the very real possibility that I may quit my job.